Re: Gaudy clown crab  4/16/08
Thank-you for replying. Today our shipment of live rock arrived of 85 pounds. When we were done placing it all in our aquarium we tried to get the gaudy clown crab out but it was wedged so far into that one rock it didn't make it.
<Sometime later then... baiting, trapping...>
Later on tonight we were looking and in the corner of our eye we noticed a second one. Now is it safe to keep in our aquarium?? Or should we put it in another tank? We have fish and shrimp and blue legged hermit crabs etc. Please reply and let me know thank-you
<Please read here: http://wetwebmedia.com/swcrabcomp.htm
and the linked files in the series above... till you understand your options sufficiently. Cheers, BobF>

Re: Gaudy clown crab  4/16/08
I looked on that site that u
<...>
 gave me there was nothing on there about gaudy clown crabs. Im sorry to be bothering you again its just no one around where I live knows anything about them. I would be grateful if you helped me know more about the gaudy clown crabs.
<... Please read generally re the Compatibility of marine crabs period... B>

Crab Removal and Tuxedo Urchin vs. Soft Coral – 12/13/07
Good morning,
<Hi David!>
I'm curious about the jar method for catching crabs. I took equivalent of a pop bottle, carefully peeled off the label and scraped off any adhesive... Then I boiled the bottle in a pot to sterilize it for 5 min.s. Once cooled down, the bottle was perfectly clean and hopefully sterile. I filled the bottom with about 3" of sand and placed 3 pieces of krill in it... The bottle is leaning up against the crab infested rock...48hrs... No crabs trapped.
<Takes time, patience, right bait, and hungry crab(s).>
The largest crab could fit into the bottle opening sideways. Do you think I'll have better luck if I use more sand to bring the bait closer to the neck of the bottle?
<Can try this, as long as the sand isn’t up high enough to allow the crab to grab the top edge of the bottle and crawl out. One possibility is that the krill just might not be “stinky” enough to lure him/them in. It sure would have been nice had the crab(s) gone the easy way and fallen for the jar trap! Since they haven't, and it sounds like the crabs are all still fairly localized, I'd consider removing the rock to a bare bottom quarantine tank and thus gaining the upper hand. One of the many good things about this is that you can control the food supply. When he/they get hungry enough, they’ll go after whatever’s in that trap. It also eliminates the possibility of your other inverts accidentally wandering in. The main advantage though, is that the crabs can't wander off and take up residence elsewhere in the display before you catch them!>
This morning I spotted the large crab likely about 4" away from the Jawfish. <Hmmmm> The Jawfish didn't seem concerned and the crab was feeding on some Caulerpa. I have had emerald greens before without incident (mind you none were this big)... This crab looks identical to the emerald green Mithrax, except it is black with sandy brown legs. Would you say that any crab that's of decent size is likely risky in a reef tank with
smaller fish?
<Yes>
He is kinda neat, but obviously I don't want to stumble upon a Jawfish carcass one morning.
<No kidding!>
If the 'jar method' for catching these critters takes too long... Do you think removing the liverock and placing in a bucket of tank water and putting some powerheads on the holes would drive them out into the bottom of the bucket without damaging the feather dusters and soft corals?
<You could give it a try, but I’m thinking it’s more likely the crab(s) will simply hunker down/go into an area of the rock that’s not getting blasted. There's also a good chance that it could damage those soft corals. My next step would be as stated above: QT, control food, trap/net.>
I have a fairy wrasse in quarantine and I suspect the wrasse will find this crab infested liverock that is so porous with a variety of large chambers within... Of particular interest for a home. Sleeping wrasse in liverock infested with a few small crabs and one brute... Ok, maybe I am answering my own question. Could be disaster?
<Heeee! Yes – something along the lines of “Come into my parlor, said the spider to the fly!”. Depending on the size of the wrasse, you might be able to block off/separate part of the QT with Eggcrate, or similar.>
Lastly, I mentioned my small tuxedo urchin sitting in my soft coral tubular polyps. I believe he was just passing through. You had mentioned I should move him. Anyhow, when I came home from work all the polyps were open and no apparent damage and urchin seemed ok as well. This is two days later now, again last night Urchin was sitting in the polyps again. <Hmmmm> I'm wondering if you figure he's once again just passing through or... Can/does an urchin actually feed on corals?
<According to what I’ve read, Tuxedo urchins/Mespilia globulus, rarely eat corals. They’re mostly herbivorous, but if they ran out of algae/got hungry enough...? I’m a little concerned, about the repeated visits to the soft coral – unless it’s dining on algae on the base/where it’s attached. Would monitor closely for any signs of damage.>
Anything I've read suggests they are totally reef safe. If no damage is being done I'd like to keep both... The alternative is to move the tuxedo urchin to my 200g FOWLR tank that houses a Snowflake Moray, Foxface, Harlequin Tusk, and soon to have tangs/Angel/trigger....
<Would monitor, relocate if necessary.>
David Brynlund
<Take care - Lynn>

Dragonet and Sally Lightfoot Crab 12/1/07
Hello, I love your site and thank you in advance! My question is regarding a Sally Lightfoot Crab and my Dragonet ( a scooter blenny or perhaps a starry blenny). The dragonet is slow moving and just kind of "hops along" the tank and rock work. Will my newly purchased Sally Lightfoot be able to catch him and/or is he a threat to him?
<Yes it can. Although it is not a guarantee that he will.>
I heard from my LFS salesman that my dragonet is poisonous to eat displayed by the bright colors. Is this true and will that deter the Sally Lightfoot?
<They are somewhat thought to be. Do not trust that particular crab (and several others) in with such a small, slow moving fish.>
Thank you
-M. Allebach
<Welcome, Scott V.>

Seahorses and crabs 10/16/07
Hi. I recently purchased a pom pom crab. He is ready to come out of quarantine. I was planning on putting him in my reef tank, although I have a Rolland's damsel that is becoming aggressive and may have just killed my strawberry crab. I witnessed the damsel attack the strawberry crab the other day. The crab got away quickly, but this morning I found him laying dead in the sand and am wondering if the damsel is to blame since the crab seamed otherwise healthy. Plus the new crab is so tiny that I doubt I will ever see him again in a 55 gallon tank.
<Too likely so>
I also have a 20 gallon tank with two young h. erectus. Would it be safe to house the pom pom crab in the seahorse tank?
<Mmm... a better choice than with the Rolland's...>
I know that anemones and seahorses do not mix, but will it matter when they are so tiny? Is there any way the pom pom crab would hurt the seahorses?
Thank you all so much for your help. Your website and helpful expertise are a blessing!
-Connie
<Thank you. I would take the risk here myself with the Seahorses. Bob Fenner>

Random questions/reef tank... maint., crab comp., zoanthid contr.  9/26/07
Hello all and thanks for the great website! I hope this is not too annoying an e-mail, but I have several somewhat unrelated questions that I hope I did not miss the answer to in the FAQs. We have a 90 gallon reef, 4 inch DSB, 120 pounds live rock, with the following livestock:
Naso tang (N. lituratus),
<This genus, species needs more room than this... as stated on WWM...>
pair of Clarkii clowns, mandarin dragonette, double-barred Rabbitfish, yellow tang, cleaner shrimp, peppermint shrimp, and sally light foot crab. It's the dreaded "garden reef"
<Heee!>
with predominately SPS in the upper third and LPS in the bottom half. However, just to cause trouble, we have three different types of zoanthids and two types of mushrooms. We have a protein skimmer and run carbon. No new fish or invertebrates have been added in over six months. Thus far, all corals appear to be flourishing and all fish are happily coexisting. Don't panic over the stocking..... we are in the process of upgrading to a 220. The tank is finally in and husband is installing the floor jacks tonight! Parameters are:
ammonia/nitrate/nitrite/phosphate-0, SG-1.025, pH-8.1, temperature-81, calcium-450 mg/dl, and alkalinity-8.5 dKH.
So, on to the myriad of questions......1. The Rabbitfish has developed a pink hue on both lateral sides just dorsal to his abdominal area. I have not seen this in any picture of a Rabbitfish, but perhaps it's just too subtle for pictures. Is this something to be concerned about?
<Mmm, yes... highly likely environmental/stress caused... will abate with the move to larger, better setting>
Fish is eating fine (varied diet of Mysis and other frozen seafoods, Nori, flake, pellets, etc.) and acting the same as always.
2. I inquired about a final fish to the stocking plan and EricR had suggested a powder brown tang. We weren't crazy about the tang when we looked, so what are your thoughts on a Sargassum triggerfish? Do you think the odds are good that this would be a reef safe fish (no guarantees we realize) and that this an appropriate addition to a peaceful tank?
<Are good animals for larger systems... and not too adventitious as other balistids... May still sample your cnidarians>
3. The yellow zoanthids (Parazoanthus gracilis I think) have gone absolutely out of control. We started out with a small rock with perhaps 5 polyps on it over a year ago and we know have hundreds of polyps. They have grown through the rock to come out in different areas.
<... got to keep them isolated... on their own patch of rock...>
When we try to prune them, one polyp always seems to escape and then a new colony starts wherever it lands! They are growing across the sand bed, in the back of the tank, and even in the middle of other zoanthid colonies. Any suggestions for curbing their growth?
<Remove as much as you can in the move to the larger tank>
The main polyp area is on a huge rock that supports a lot of the other rock structure, so removal is not possible....well not easy anyway. At first they were quite pretty, now they remind me of dandelions on a manicured yard!
4. Last question and most important....any hints for trapping the sally light foot crab!?!
<Box traps... you can buy as such or just the plastic ones for small rodents (they're the same)...>
Last month I walked by the tank to see the crab eating one of the cleaner shrimp (Arrgh, the horror...I tell myself the crab was merely scavenging, but....).
<Ah, no>
Last week the yellow tang had a tear in the caudal fin. The fin healed, but we are worried the crab is on the prowl. We have tried physically grabbing the crab (yeah, no shock that didn't work) and commercial traps which resulted in one trapped and very stressed clownfish. When we put frozen fish in a jar or on a string to bait the crab, all the other fish grab the treat. We have tried feeding the fish on the other side of the tank at the same time, but they are too clever for that! Assuming we catch the crab, can we just place him in the fuge or would one crab defeat the purpose of the fuge, especially since we rely on the pod production for the mandarin?
<Move, isolate, trade in with the move...>
Thanks for the help as always and sorry for the long e-mail. All of you do a great service to us newbies out here!
Michele
<Congrats on the new, larger system. Bob Fenner>

Re: Random questions/reef tank 9/26/07
Thank you for the reply. Yes, we know the 90 gallon is WAAAY too small for the Naso which is why we are upgrading to the 220. We didn't do our research when we bought her last year, but we are trying to make it right with the new tank.
<Good... I do hope you get on out to the wild... see these active fishes there>
The tank was a custom order this past January right after we got the Naso, but it only finally got here last month!
We had certainly hoped to have her in the larger tank sooner than this.
You have me quite stressed now that the Rabbitfish's coloration is secondary to the small tank....we shall try and get the new tank up and running quickly!
Michele Frazer, DVM
<Do please send along an image or two when it's settled in. Cheers, BobF>

Crab and candycane comp.  – 08/27/07
Hi Crew,
Yesterday I noticed something on my candycane. In between the outer brown and the inner green it looked like something got caught on there. So I took a tweezers and it lifted right out but it came out swinging. It is (was) tiny and I doubt if I could have presented a good picture. I usually let things, that I find in the tank, live. But my gut feeling was that this was a bad guy, at least for my candycane, so my tweezers crunched the perpetrator. It looked like a miniature crab. I do not recall reading about any candycane pests. I have this candy cane a couple years. But recently I took in a large colony from someone since it was deteriorating in his tank. Maybe it is infected with this pest. I have not found any more yet. Right now the bright green center of the head that had the crab does not look bright and is not very green. The mouth is a large hole and is how many of the heads look in the colony that I took in. Aside for keeping my eyes open for more of these creatures is there anything I should do? Would it be useful to do a freshwater dip to force out any more of these creatures?
<Naw, don't do that. It won't help and would probably just stress out the coral.>
I did not quarantine the sick candycane because it came from a tank that is much better than mine and my thought was that the other corals were causing it to decline.
<Well, quarantining has nothing to do with how well the tank it came from is/was doing. But anyway… very few crabs reproduce readily in aquariums. So even if this “crab” is a pest, if it’s actually a crab, I wouldn’t worry about it multiplying. Also, you never know if the crab caused the coral’s problems or if it simply took advantage of the coral’s decline. Just keep an eye on the coral. If it doesn’t recover, then you might have to think more about why it’s suffering.>
Thanks
<De nada,
Sara M.>

Added Crabs, Shrimp are Gone; Mithraculus  8/22/07
Hey gang! Boy, if anybody can mess something up it's me.
<I bet I'm worse.>
I had/have an issue with Valonia (sp?) bubbles, it was really severe. I decided against the raccoon butterfly because of issues it might have with my inverts so I bought some small Mithrax crabs..
<Ok>
The Valonia bubbles are receding except for the big ones I can snag with a siphon tube but what disturbs me is the sudden disappearance/deaths of my shrimp.
<Uh oh>
In the past two weeks (since introducing the crabs) I've lost two very large skunk shrimp and one small peppermint shrimp. I took the deceased peppermint out, it seemed to be intact. I only saw the carcass of one of my skunk shrimp briefly this morning but it was gone before I could get it. No sign of the other.
<Dead things disappear very quickly in aquariums.>
Everything else in the tank (2 fire fish, 1 azure damsel, 1 royal Gramma, 1 orchid Dottyback, and assorted corals that have been in the tank since I started over a year ago plus one huge bubble tip anemone and it's large clown) are fine.
Is it safe to assume that the Mithrax have killed the shrimp?
<Definitely a possibility>
I wouldn't have expected it, I figured they'd feast on the bubbles.
<They eat whatever is in front of them.>
Should I trap and remove them?
<Could>
I have a large abalone I'd hate to lose but I am seeing some empty snail shells as well.
<Sounds like the crabs may be your problem but hard to say for sure. If something else is killing the shrimp and snails then the crabs may just be cleaning up the leftovers.>
Thanks for your kind assistance that you generously offer.
Lisa
<If possible separate the crabs into the sump if you have one or another tank and just move live rock in and out as they eat the algae.>
<Chris>

Re: Added crabs, shrimp are gone! 8/23/07
Thanks Chris :) I'll set a trap tonight. I do have a refugium, it's full of Chaetomorpha. I'll add some rock.
<Sounds good.>
I watch the tank at night with a red light, the only thing I notice are the crabs. I'll update when they're out.
<Ok>
Thanks so much for all you do :)
Lisa
<Welcome>
<Chris>

Shrimp vs. Crabs: Overcrowding/mixed species issues - 7/24/07
Hello,
<Howdy>
I have been puzzled over the last few weeks and I am hoping you all can help. <Hope so!> I had a fire shrimp and two cleaner shrimp in my tank and they seemed to be thriving. Very active, the fire shrimp molted several times, and was a brilliant red. <They really are beautiful shrimp> Well, about 2 weeks ago, one of the cleaner shrimp had died, or been killed, and my sally lightfoot crab was eating it. <Sorry to hear that> I figured just bad luck. <More likely a hungry crab> About 1 week later, I added another <!> sally lightfoot <Houston, we have a problem> and within two days the other cleaner shrimp was dead and being eaten by the crab. <Yep, saw that one coming> I started to be concerned, and took some water to the LFS to check it out, and everything thing came back in great range (I'd list it all, but I don't have the exact #'s with me)<Okay>. This morning I awoke to my arrow crab <Yikes! There’s an arrow crab in there too?> and sally lightfoot eating the presumably dead fire shrimp. Now these guys are <aren't(?)> the cheapest things in the world, and I <I'm> wondering if I should buy another one, or not, with the crabs in the tank? <Definitely not!> I have 2 sally lightfoot's, 1 emerald crab, 1 arrow crab, electric blue hermit crab, and a couple Cortez hermit crabs. Is it bad luck <It's more than that> or are they praying <preying> on the shrimp when they molt? <Possibly, but I'm guessing they just like shrimp.> Tank is a 14 gallon bio cube, with a few small corals, 20 lbs of live sand, and 14 pounds live rock. There are some mushroom colonies, a small clown, and purple Pseudochromis.
<I'm sorry for your losses, but unfortunately, the issues here are: too many different/incompatible shrimp/crab species, in too large a quantity, in too small a tank. If you want to keep shrimp, I wouldn’t put more than a single specie in a 14g BioCube, and no crabs. Crabs in general are not a good idea in mixed reef situations, much less in high concentrations. Sally Lightfoots and arrows, in particular, are known to kill small to medium fish and invertebrates – pretty much anything they can get hold of. Emerald/mithrax crabs can go either way, IME. Sometimes you get lucky, sometimes you don't. While it’s possible that the actual deaths of the various shrimp could have been due to other factors (stress of overcrowding, starvation, etc), it’s most likely the crabs did the killing. I would decide on keeping one or the other, and trap/return the rest. I would also recommend reading the FAQ’s, and info at WWM re: keeping/compatibility issues for these species, and prior to any future additions.
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/marine/inverts/arthropoda/shrimp/cleaner.htm
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/swcrabcomp.htm
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/arrowcrabfaqs.htm
Good luck!-Lynn>

Re: Shrimp vs. Crabs: Overcrowding/mixed species issues - 7/25/07
<Hello!>
Wow, you guys/girls are awesome, thanks for the information and the advice.
<You’re very welcome and thank you for writing in! Although it’s too late to save your little shrimp, your shared experience could save others down the road! – Lynn>

Stone Crabs! - 7/18/07
<Hi Bridget!>
I have pulled 3 of these guys out of my tank in the past 6 months. <Yikes!> Pet store ID'd the last one and advised an elimination program. All research on the web tells how tasty they are. <I’ve never had them, but I’ve heard that as well.> That really is kinda useless. <Well, if you do indeed have the same variety of "stone crab" that they use in the seafood industry, you can try Googling its scientific name: Menippe mercenaria. That's the problem with common names, though. One name can be used for many species.>
My biggest question is, are they really all that bad?
<Well, not if you want a crab tank! If you want a reef tank with snails, etc, in it, then yep, I'm sorry but they’re bad. Crabs in the Menippe genus are xanthid, or mud, crabs and have a bad reputation for being destructive in reef tanks. Also, some Xanthids are toxic, so just in case, don't let anyone eat those crabs!>
If so what's your best advise for removal?
<Please see this link and the post labeled “Trapping in Displays”: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/marine/inverts/arthropoda/crabs/swcrabfaqs2.htm >
I do know I no longer have any hermit crabs and my yellow tang has gone missing? <Hmmmm, not good.> Now have 3 fish in the 75, 2 true percula's and one coral beauty.
Thank you for your time
Bridget
<You're very welcome, and good luck! -Lynn>

Re: Stone Crabs! Follow-up 7/19/07
<Hi again, Bridget! Lynn here.>
Well I found some pictures here http://www.okeefes.org/Crabs/crab%20photos%20and%20scans.htm and this guy <(Pilumnus sayi)> is definitely what I have and not the stone crabs <(Menippe mercenaria)> *Pilumnus sayi*
<Thanks! Pilumnus sayi, sometimes called the hairy mud crab, or spineback hairy crab, has those same robust claws as the yummy stone crabs (Menippe mercenaria) but with lots of bristles! Unfortunately, it’s still a xanthid and potential trouble down the road for a mixed reef tank.>
Hubby is being a grump and not wanting to remove these guys.
<I can understand that. As much trouble as they can cause for the other inhabitants of your tank, they’re still neat little creatures! Why not set up a separate tank for them? It’s a win-win!>
Myself, I'm more than concerned about the quantity and I'm wondering if they might be reproducing or if they just came in with the live rock.
<Almost guaranteed that they came in with the rock. The juvenile stages of crabs have a next to nil chance of surviving in the average tank.>
I don't see these guys. They're professional hiders, <Yes indeed!> I'm only finding dead bodies.
<Of snails, etc, or the crabs themselves? If it’s snails, etc, that’s not too surprising. If it’s crab bodies, they could just be the shed shells from when they molt.>
Which makes me more concerned about anyone else in the tank.
<Understandable either way!>
Tank is a 75 reef established 3 years, new live rock with oysters 6 months ago.
<Sounds like a nice tank to me!>
Thank you for your time.
Bridget
<You’re most welcome, Bridget. I’d try to trap these guys (see previous link on this) and set them up in a tank of their own. Good luck! -Lynn >

 

Re: Stone Crabs! Follow-up: Mysterious losses - 7/19/07
<Hi Bridget!>
These are definitely dead crab bodies. I've had several crabs/shrimp that have molted and it's fairly easy to tell the difference.
<Yep, sorry about that. I figured you probably already knew, but wanted to be sure.>
I saw the last one the night before hanging upside down on the rock and he was a pinkish red color which told me he wasn't feeling good. Next morning he was sitting on the bottom of the tank. I had to really fight to get him loose. He'd latched onto some plants, and a rock, and wasn't wanting to let go.
<The loss of these little crabs may be a simple matter of too much competition for food. By the way, if you have any shrimp, have they been shedding normally? If not, you might want to check the iodine level. Insufficiency here could explain some of the other invert deaths as well.>
I still have the whole body sitting here in a jar in front of me so I can reference back as I'm searching. My biggest concern was reproduction.
<No worries there. True crabs, such as yours, hatch into a planktonic zoea/larval stage that, without special food/care, have very little chance of survival in a tank. They drift along in the currents, and become part of the food chain.>
Now I'm going to set up the pickle jar tonight. After doing the reading I started searching the tank for lost residents, 3 queen conch, 12 hermits, and about 20 odd ball snails, missing. Past 6 months or so yellow tang, purple fire fish and blenny have disappeared. Crabs need to go.. huuummmm
<Yep, that’s a lot. If water parameters and chemistry are/have all been fine, and there’s been no apparent disease/injury, and finally, there’s been enough food for all those inverts, then you have to consider predation. I’d definitely put a trap out and see what you get. Just out of curiosity, have you heard any popping or clicking sounds coming from the tank, especially at night?>
Reminds me, walked into the fish store and told them I had crabs. You can imagine those poor young men trying to keep a straight face. LOL
<LOL!! They’re probably still laughing over that one! I know it’ll keep me going for a while!>
Thank you Lynn for all your help
Bridget
<You’re very welcome, Bridget, and thanks for the laugh!>

Re: Stone Crabs! Follow-up 2: Mysterious losses - 7/19/07
<Hi Bridget!>
No strange noises, but we turn off the tank and go to bed. Will let you know. <Sounds good.> You've been great. <Happy to help - I just wish I could have been more so!> Water is good, corals, mushrooms and anemone are growing and healthy happy.
<Terrific!>
Thanks so much
Bridget
<It was my pleasure! Take care –Lynn>

Re: Stone Crabs! Follow-up 3 - 7/20/07
<Hi Bridget!>
Nothing this morning, will change location, feed less at dinnertime and shrink the jar a little and try again. <Yep, trapping can take some time/patience/luck. Using “stinky” bait (shrimp/squid/etc), should help.> Hubby seems to think that we may have lost some of the crew with the spike from the new rock, it's a good
sized rock, 35lbs <Yowza! It’s entirely possible, especially if it wasn’t cured. Even if it was, though, it still would have caused some chemistry changes.> with 7 oysters on it, <Neat> one tunicate that I adore, he's about 3" tall, bright orange. <Pretty!> We got the oysters for added filtration, and they are reproducing rather quickly. <Sounds like they're happy!> It also came with some non photosynthetic stony coral on it, it came with 3 polyps on it and now there's six of them. <Nice!> Also have something that looks like it might be a baby bubble tip. Except it has this long curly tongue kinda thing that hangs out, when hungry. <I've got a dog that does that when he sees ice cream.> Cream and pink colored about 3/4" around and impossible to photograph through that thick glass. <Understandable, that can be a challenge.>
Will update again as soon as I have any news <Please do!>
Take care <You too, and have a great weekend! –Lynn>
Bridget

Please help!!  Clown and Crab Interaction 7/13/07
Good Afternoon guys (and gals),
<Hello>
I have a 10 gallon FOWLR (&LS) set up with a Skilter skimmer, maxi-jet 600, and very stable readings for two weeks straight after cycling for 5 weeks.
<Ok>
Last night I added a false perc and a sally (she was a throw in from the person I bought my perc from). After using the drip method for acclimation I have noticed that my false stays on one side of the tank and the sally roams free. <Not unusually for a clown, although you want to watch him closely.> I think I noticed (could be paranoia) the crab stalking my clown. <Possible> I think its nothing more than paranoia but I am really getting worried about the crab trying to attack my perc. <Crabs eat whatever they can catch, and Sallies have been know to catch small fish.> He is constantly looking for her and it appears to be scaring my clown. I looked on DFWMAS.org and I got differing answers....I am about 99% certain I have nothing to fear but after reading up on my totally unexpected and unprepared for sally it appears he wont be in my tank for long regardless. <Probably the best move.>
I guess my question is whether or not I should be concerned with the sally eating my clown. <Can happen, although not too often.> Other than looking totally freaked out whenever the crab "appears" from the rocks he/she is doing great and eating. I see no markings on (we'll go with her) her and she is very active.. albeit on one side of the tank.
Thank you in advance for you help
Phil Murphy
<Welcome>
<Chris>
 

Hitchhiker Crab Removal - 6/7/07 Hi Crew, <Hi again, Debra!> I have found another crab hiding in my sun corals. <!> I don't want to ID him, I've seen enough of him to know I don't want him around, period. <Heehee, does this one have beady eyes too?> But flushing him out won't be as simple. The first one slipped into a small rock which was easily removed and exposed to air. Once exposed to air, within a few minutes he was out where I flicked him into the water using a bamboo skewer and removed the rock. But exposing my sun corals to air for any length of time to try and flush out this crab would most likely cause them more harm than the pesky crab is causing. If left alone at some point he will get too big to hide in the sun coral and seek another home. Are we talking months or years before Dennis the Menace becomes Ivan the Terrible? <Sorry, too many factors to be able to make a call here.> Should I just resolve the fact that there's not much I can do until it gets bigger and go ahead and move my sun corals from quarantine into the main tank? <I wouldn’t. That’s one of the great things about having a QT (and good for you for using one!). If you want to get rid of this guy, now’s the time. If you wait until he’s in the display, he’ll be even harder to catch. It could take some serious aquascape rearranging, and frustration, to get him out of there. Plus that, chances are that by the time you want him out, he will have already done some damage. It’s just not worth it.> The main tank (20 gallon long) is still in the building stage so there are only 2 other sun coral colonies, one Tubipora musica and two cleaner shrimp (L. amboinensis). Fish additions are still being researched <Love to hear that!> but currently I have in mind one Royal Gramma and 2 Pajama Cardinals (or 1 cardinal). <Okay> Should I just plan my tank around the fact I have a crab and set a trap nightly until he's caught? <Again, I’d remove the crab now, while in quarantine. One thing you could try is flushing it out with a turkey baster (with the coral submerged). Remove the sun coral to a bucket with some tank water (enough to cover). Using the turkey baster, “swoosh” water directly at the little crab (underwater) until he gives up and runs out. Just be sure to aim the blasts below/between the polyps. It may take some doing, but it should work. Sounds like you’re already proficient with bamboo skewers, so one of those might come in handy as well to prod him out. If that doesn’t work, see here for more information/ideas on trapping: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/marine/inverts/arthropoda/crabs/swcrabfaqs2.htm> What should I be wary of adding to my tank because of the crab? <Will no longer be a factor once he's removed, but crabs are generally opportunistic - can go for just about anything.> Having done some research on this site: http://www.imv.uit.no/crustikon/Decapoda/Decapoda2/Species_index.htm, which has a lot of pictures of various crustaceans, I think it might be in the Xanthoidea family based on the similarity of its body shape. <Mmmm, yes, this group contains a lot of crabs that can be a problem in a mixed tank.> Thank you again. Regards, Debra <You're very welcome and good luck! -Lynn>

Hitchhiker Crab Removal - 6/7/07 Hi ...Lynn? <Yep, hi Debbie. What's up?> During feeding my sun corals tonight I was able to flush out that little critter using a bamboo skewer with the tip bent at 45 degrees. <Heheee! You really are good with those skewers!> I accidentally broke off one of his legs during removal and the one you see fell off while it was walking around the container (probably because of me). <Will grow back.> In case someone else runs into the same thing, here's a picture of him with one of his missing claws. <Appreciate it, and thanks for including the dime for size reference.> Curious, is it in the Xanthoidea family... can you tell? <Sure does appear so to me.> I'm not positive but I think both claws were identical, pictured is the left claw. Although looking brownish here it is actually more of a maroon color. Hopefully there will be no more crabs on the coral, but back to quarantine to be sure. <Good for you - keep your eyes peeled and a skewer handy!> Thanks for all your help. Regards, Debbie <You’re very welcome! –Lynn>

Re: Red Fromia star has hole in its head! Help!   4/4/07
Mich, Thanks for the reply.
<Welcome!>
The star ended up dying.
<I'm sorry for your loss.>
I believe it to either be an acclimation issue OR the teddy bear crab.
<Either are possibilities.>
I went back to the shop where I had acquired the star and there was a star from the same batch that disintegrated also.
<Unfortunately this is not terribly surprising.>
But, to my horror, I caught the teddy bear crab eating my sand-sifting star the next day! It ate a whole arm before I knew what was happening.
<Yikes!  I would not recommend the sand-sifting star (Astropecten spp.).  These stars decimate your sand bed removing beneficial organisms and typically starve after a few months in captivity.>  
Needless to say I have removed the teddy bear crab from the tank.
<Mmm, hopefully to a suitable home and not an untimely demise.>
I had searched online about the teddy bear and various sites said it was reef safe and a detritus eater so I thought it was safe, thanks for the info that says otherwise....wish I would have known.
<Not every source hold equal value.>
Hopefully the star will live and regenerate a new arm.
<It may.>
Unfortunately, none of my corals are happy since adding the sponges. The tank at the store that one of the sponges was in was being cleaned when I bought it (water was really cloudy). I'm starting to think that I introduced a lot of toxins since I had to introduce that water into my tank.
<Yikes!>
I am going to do a few water changes daily for the next few days to get any toxins out.
<Do watch this carefully.  Dying sponges can really do a lot of damage.>
Green mushroom won't open up, gorgonian won't come out and my torch is losing tentacles!
<Ho buoy!  Not good!>
I'm about to do a water change right now.
<Good!>
I changed it yesterday and the gorgonian came out for a while.
<You may need to do several large changes here!>
Wish me luck!
<Good luck my friend!>
Thanks again for the info,
<You are most welcome!  -Mich>
Luis

Hermit's a tripod now???   3/11/07
I have recently noticed that one of my larger--actually the largest of my red tipped hermits has lost many of his legs.  
<So the Vietnam was is raging in your tank?>
He currently only has his pinchers and one left leg.  He is unable to walk or climb.  The only thing that he can do with seemingly great difficulty is turn in a circle.
<This is to be expected with a Septa-plegic.>   
I have been hand placing food in front of him for the past couple weeks to prevent him from starving.  
<As long as he is eating it, and you can continue this, after a few molts, the crab should start to grow new legs.>
All of the other hermits are fine.  -----Is it normal for this to happen to this degree?  
<It is never normal for inhabitants to start losing limbs.  The Sally Lightfoot that you mention below is a likely culprit.  Actually, if you have a refugium, or another fishless tank to put this one in, I would do that.  Eventually you will be E-mailing us wondering what ate your fish.  The answer will be the Sally Lightfoot.>
My water parameters are and have been in perfect or near perfect range for over a year.  I only have a couple of Damsels, Chromis,  O. Clown, Sally Lightfoot, snails, smaller hermits and corals in my tank. My biggest worry is that I am only prolonging a horrible life of  immobility!  Is it possible that he will regenerate his 3 lost legs?
<Please see above.>
Or have I literally made him a "sitting duck"?  Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated!!
<I hope this helps, Brandon.>

Problem with <true? or hermit, really> Crabs and Overstocking – 2/20/07
Help!
<Hi Janet, Brenda here tonight>
I have been reading through your FAQ’s and reading elsewhere and I am not finding the answers to my question.  Since November 2006 I have had a 24 gallon Aqua Pod.  All my parameters are within the required limits. I do a weekly 4 gallon water change to keep my nitrates down.
I have 4 fish (yellow-tail damsel, 1 clarkii clownfish, and 2 percula clownfish), there are snails and crabs, mushrooms, an anemone (the clarkii loves it there), a sea urchin, a blue star fish, frogspawn coral, feather duster, star polyp, Caulastrea, Galaxea coral, yellow pagoda, zoanthid, and 2 cleaner shrimps.
<Oh my!  You're way over stocked.  You will also see aggression between the percula and clarkii clownfish as they mature.  You shouldn’t mix corals and anemones, especially a nano tank.  The Galaxea has sweeper tentacles that can reach up to 12 inches, the frogspawn also has long tentacles and the Caulastrea up to 2 inch tentacles.  These tentacles will sting all your corals and your invertebrates.>
I had (and these have not survived) a electric flame scallop, black sun coral, pearl bubble coral, brain coral, and Fungia.
<I’m not surprised.>
I feed them 1X a day ~ I alternate every other day with the following Mysis shrimp, Cyclop eeze (originally for the black sun coral), and prime reef flake food.  
About a month ago, I took out 10 crabs (I had 20) because they seem to be eating other things in the tank besides the garbage.
<It is recommended to have 1 crab or less for every 10 gallons.  I don’t recommend crabs with anemones.>
Now they seem to be eating snails
<This is common they can also eat small fish, corals, and nip at anemones.>
and they look they are eating each other, too.  
<Have not heard of this, could be the sweeper tentacles.>
It, also, looks they have multiplied.  What do I do?
<Decide what sort of tank you want to keep, anemone or coral.  If you choose coral, select those that are not as aggressive.  Please research compatibility and care before your purchase.>
Janet
<Brenda>

Camposcia retusa... decorator crab, comp.     2/16/07
Hi Crew
<Angel>
I have a question regarding the above.  I have bought one, I suppose it was a bit of an impulse buy as I wasn't planning on getting one,
<Mmm, you're learning...>
I'd never heard of one, but I saw it and was fascinated.  The shop didn't give me the Latin name but from pictures I have seen on the internet it is definitely this one.  It is approximately 10 cm in diameter from tip of leg to tip of leg.
<Yikes... Giganto!>
So he is fairly large compared to my other shrimp and hermits.
So basically I have a tank set up with fish, shrimp (dancing) and hermits (red ones) waiting for my new and improved 700 L new Christmas present tank to cycle.
<Wow! Send your Santa my way!>
It is a reef set up in that I have live rock in it, 2 types of algae plants, under tank sump, skimmer (thinking of getting an ozonizer to make the water crystal, but that is another question for the future may be).  Any way as I have told Bob F in a past email, my LFS only gets small stocks of marine life and quarantines them for about 6 weeks before selling them and I am very good friends with him and the manager and know that all their stock is disease and parasite free.
<Mmm, just my usual cautionary note here re... Most all stores, wholesalers even... can't actually promise such... there is just too much going on... mixed nets, containers, staff... to warrant that contamination hasn't occurred, that new livestock coming/going haven't passed things on...>
So I took the crab home and very excitedly put it (Kev) straight into the new tank (acclimatizing obviously).  Kev is doing really well, but now that I have seen him trundling around and realized how big he is, although small claws,
<...>
I am worried about what damage he may do to my fish and hermits when I put them in.  My LFS friend said watch with small fish and shrimp, but now I am worried what would be classed as small relative to his size and eating habits.
<Ah, yes>
  My smallest fish at the minute is a young clown who is approximately 5 cm.   So at the moment I am holding back on transferring my buddies into the new tank.  
<You are wise here>
I know that in the aquarium world you cannot be certain of anything, but I thought you probably know more about their track record for compatibility than most.  On a positive note though the Caulerpa sp. I bought had some hitchhiker xenia on it and so I have attached this to the rock and he hasn't demolished it and only took a little, so maybe Kev is the caring type.
<Or not caring for Pulsing Soft Corals... as the present "menu item">
   Have had no replies on the chat forums so its over to you!  
Thanks in advance Angela (WWM fan).
Please let Bob know that his book CMA is brill!!  
<Much good help with this tome. I would definitely keep your eye on Kev... and a spot in a refugium to move it/him too not if, but when he becomes too much of a tankmate sampler. Bob Fenner>

Re: Camposcia retusa comp.    02/17/07
Hi Bob
<Am everting my lips in my best... well... semi-okay impersonation of MickJ... "Angie...">
Thanks for the swift reply.
<Welcome>
Would you say he is probably too big for the rest of my fish and crabs who
are in shells of about 4 cm?  Give it to me straight, don't spare my
feelings!
My largest fishes are:
12 cm blue Cheeked goby
12 cm long Midas blenny
8 cm long Regal Tang
I know that I can return him, sad though I would be.  But I don't want to
be unfair to my other fish friends.
<Mmm... if it t'were me, I would return this Decorator... Too likely to be heartbreaks down the line>
What do you mean by "Much good help with this one tome."
<Oh, the publisher, James Lawrence is a pet-fish and publishing genius... a delight to work with him and the Microcosm crew>
Angela in a dilemma.
<BobF, in a heat to get out and work on the garden walk/run the dogs...>

Re: Camposcia retusa comp.    02/17/07
Thanks for that, he will be going back to the shop tomorrow, but he will be in good hands.
<Ah, good>
From Angela (named after Carly Simons "Angie baby").
Night time here so off to bed.
Good night from rainy Manchester..
<Sleep tight... from nice/sunny (today) southern California. BobF>

Emerald crab and cleaner shrimp  - 09/01/06
Hello! <Hi Christy, MacL here today.>  Thank you for all of your help from the past, present and future! <You are so kind and we all appreciate it.>
Three days ago I added an Emerald Crab to my 25 Gallon saltwater tank, 1.022 spg, ammonia 0, nitrite 0. I bought him to control my Bubble Algae. My current residents are a Scarlett Cleaner Shrimp, 2 Blue-Green Chromis, 9 Purple Mushrooms, 2 Red Leg Hermit Crabs, 8 Turbo Snails. Before I purchased the Emerald Crab, I researched and came to the conclusion that large Emerald Crabs could possibly pose a threat to small fish or crustaceans if it was hungry, but most likely a small Emerald Crab would do no damage to the other residents of my tank. <Unfortunately Christy, small ones grow to large ones and to be honest I have seen them cause problems at all sizes.>  I haven't seen any sign of aggression between the shrimp and crab. My shrimp molted last night, and I didn't notice his antennas being any different earlier today, I'm not sure if I just hadn't noticed or not, but now tonight.. I've noticed that all of his antennas are considerably shorter than before, except for one which is the same length. <It is definitely possible for something to have occurred during the molt which caused the antenna length to change.>
I'm having a difficult time believing that my less than one inch Emerald Crab could have done that. I also can't find one of my Chromis anywhere! I'm now worried that I've got a little green goblin in my tank! My question is could anything have happened to my Shrimp's antennas other than the crab getting hold of him? While molting, could he have lost his antenna length?  <My philosophy on this is pretty simple, if things were good before I add some creature then I start having problems after I add them, then I usually take the new creature out.>
On a different note.. I have a question about my shrimp's molting
regularity. He molts almost every week the morning after a water change. Is it bad to molt so regularly?  <In my experience he's molting way too frequently. Are you adding supplements to the water like iodine?  That can cause them to molt more frequently.  There is a great section on molting in general in shrimp on site, I'd encourage you to take a look at it.  MacL>

Crabs in my house   6/27/06
I live in Hampton, VA near a marsh, and we have been having a lot of rain lately.  Last week and today there were a lot of crabs in my
garage.  Is there any way to keep them out of the house?
Judy
<A row of small melted butter dishes? Actually, installing a flexible guard under the garage doors setting edge is what I would do. See Lowe's, Home Depot... re. Bob Fenner>

Re: Crabs in my house  6/27/06
Thanks for the tip.  Actually, I had thought of putting down some Old Bay and hot sauce!
<Heeeee! Tasty! BobF, with a bib on>

Decorator Crab Woes [Not A Question; More Of An FYI]  - 04/26/06
Hi Gang, <Hey there>   
I had an unfortunate event yesterday with a decorator crab that I wanted to share in case anyone else is considering getting one of these creatures.  
<Share away, we love this stuff!>   
My partner and I have had our aquarium for about two months now and are having a great time with it.  
<Wonderful!>
We're very pleased with it's results and with our damsels.  We made the decision over the weekend after positive tests that it was time to increase our stock from two damsels to a couple of shrimp, a crab and a Nudibranch.  
<Be very wary with the last.  These do not survive so well in captivity.  Most times they perish fairly quickly.>
So we set off to the pet store and in our ventures wound up getting a starfish, a decorator crab, two cleaner shrimp, a blood shrimp and a Nudibranch.  All was right with the world.   
We got them home; floated them
<Tell you the truth, you should float them, but drip acclimate them.>
and put them in the tank still under the illusion that everything was great.  With amazing speed (which tends to happen in this hobby I've found) everything went horribly, horribly wrong.  Our tank is a forty-five gallon bow-front with 15 pounds of live rock, a three inch live sand substrate and giant piece of dead coral to provide hiding places.  With the rocks and the coral, there are a ton of places for the guys to hide.  As we expected, the decorator crab started off nice and leisurely picking up stuff from the tank as we were expecting him to do.  When he came across the blood shrimp, which had perched itself on top of one of our live rocks, he apparently didn't like him there and quite simply attacked him.  The blood shrimp having a brain the size of, well, a shrimp tried to fend his territory.  
<Ha! This isn’t uncommon though.>
You can guess which one won.  The shrimp lost half of one leg on one side and one whole other leg from the other side .
<Oh boy, probably tasty, but an expensive snack.>
The decorator proceeded to make fast food of this delicious new meal and go back for seconds.  He started actively pursuing the blood shrimp.  Right before a second confrontation, during which I'm sure the crab would have killed the shrimp, I finally took the blood shrimp our of harms way and perched him on top of the coral where I though he would be out of the reach of the decorator crab.  Once again, all seemed well.   
Concerned about the crabs aggressive behaviour (we'd gotten mixed reviews on this aspect of the decorator crab during our research); we decided to keep an eye on him for a bit after lights out.  While we were observing the tank; we noticed that the decorator crab had turned his attentions to the cleaner shrimp and was actively pursuing them; stalking, we're almost certain, with intent to kill.  Fortunately, they were small enough and fast enough to evade his reach.  Satisfied that he at least wouldn't decimate the rest of the aquarium, we made the decision to call it a night and started debating taking him back to the pet store the next morning.
   Sometime during the night he managed to get to the blood shrimp again; this time dealing a fatal blow.  
<Oh no!>
The shrimps carapace was split down close to it's tail, two more legs were missing and one of his feeler antennae had been ripped in half.  He died shortly after we found him like that.  At that point we were pretty upset because we loved the shrimp (he was absolutely beautiful) and because he had cost us twenty dollars.  Where we were only debating returning the decorator, we made the decision at that point.  We figured it would only be a matter of time before he got his hands on the Nudibranch, the cleaners or the starfish (all of which had cost a grand total of $130.00).   
I'm writing this to get the information out there if you guys see fit to publish it.  
<Absolutely!>
The research we did on the net was mixed with regard to aggressiveness of this species; although it tended towards them being relatively easy to keep and working well with other animals (possibly with the exception of SLOW moving inverts - I don't consider shrimp slow-moving but could be wrong about that).  
<Sometimes they just have different personalities.  Info here or anywhere is based on the majority of cases, sometimes it may be different because each specimen is different.>
Our experience says something very different.  This particular crab was extremely territorial and aggressive to the point he was actually hunting his tank mates.  It doesn't seem like a good choice in an aquarium where other crustaceans are housed.
 We've since replaced him with a few snails and feel much better for the wear.
<Great idea!>  
Thanks for putting this out there for your readers and for the great work you guys continue to do at WWM.
<No problem, best of luck in the future, Jen S.>  
Warm regards,
Dennis

The tiniest crab?? ever inside a candy cane coral   4/6/06
I just bought a white/extra gum green candy cane coral and just noticed a small hole in the tissue and what appears to be a very tiny  
crab in it (approx. 3mm) is this uncommon and a reason for concern?  I am a wee bit worried- how will i remove the crab if needed?
thank you,
Russell Thomas
<Common (though not often observed) and not a problem... though semi-parasitic in nature, these two organisms live together in the wild. Bob Fenner>

White spotted crabs in trouble... just natural predatory beh.   - 03/26/2006
Hello and thank you so much for what you are doing! the life of my crab is in your hands.
<Actually yours... my keyboard is all I can touch here>
I have a 55 sw tank that is only 2 weeks old. We got our 2 big , white spotted crabs along with 5 hardy fish(1 of them is in quarantine now) <This tank is too new...>
They have been very happy at fist, crawling and exploring our tank happily, but
not spending any time together. With time though, Hulk (the bigger sized
crab) started to attack Harold (a bit smaller guy) periodically. If we didn't
feed him as often as he wanted he would attack him as if to say: if you guys don't feed me now I am going to eat Harold.
<Will... not William, just will>
I interfere when he attacks, pulling him off the poor guy. Now, even after we added shells, Hulk was
still a bully, and Harold is now a recluse, refusing to eat, and spending
his time motionlessly perched on the very top of our LR mountain.
<Some symbology now!>
And he used to climb the funniest places, like our filter tube, and be very active.
<And trying to escape...>
Now I checked our water and it is ammonia and nitrite wise safe. However, our
heater seems to be broken and the temperature has soared to 81. Could this be the problem?
<Not likely>
I am replacing the heater today and have it disconnected for now. Unfortunately, Hulk has also attacked our only snail and she is
motionless, too... But it's breaking my heart that Harold is not even eating
and probably not going to molt, since he is nowhere near the sand but
instead, climbed the highest point in our tank as if to beg: get me outta
here! Please, any advice, tip, suggestion, anything at all to save the poor guy?
Angel.
<... another tank, or trade in the aggressor. Bob Fenner>

Re: White spotted crabs in trouble -- MURDER IN THE TANK!!!    4/6/06
As an update...the smaller guy has almost killed the bigger guy today. Ripped him in half, his guts are outside,
<Ah... a goner>
chopped off his 3 legs, 4th fell off. We put him in separately, we don't know if the injured crab will survive.
<Not likely>
I don't have the heart to just pull him out so he is on his own, with his favorite shell, slowly dying... Is there anything I can do, any
medicine to speed up healing, what do you recommend to do at this point???
We are so sad.
<Mmm, not to be... inevitable... I'd monitor ammonia, nitrite... likely will be "totally" consumed... and soon... if not already. Bob Fenner>